Global InformationAtlas V information
 Launch of an Atlas V 401 carrying the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and LCROSS space probes on 18 June 2009. | |
| Function |
|
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | United Launch Alliance |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Cost per launch | US$110–153 million in 2016[1] |
| Size | |
| Height | 58.3 m (191 ft) with payload fairing, 52.4 m (172 ft) with Starliner |
| Diameter | 3.81 m (12.5 ft) |
| Mass | 590,000 kg (1,300,000 lb) |
| Stages | 2 |
| Capacity | |
| Payload to low Earth orbit | |
| Orbital inclination | 28.70° |
| Mass | 8,210–18,850 kg (18,100–41,560 lb)[2] |
| Payload to geostationary transfer orbit | |
| Mass | 4,750–8,900 kg (10,470–19,620 lb) |
| Associated rockets | |
| Family | Atlas |
| Based on | Atlas III |
| Comparable |
|
| Launch history | |
| Status | Active |
| Launch sites |
|
| Total launches | 99[3][4][5]
|
| Success(es) | 98
|
| Partial failure(s) | 15 June 2007 |
| First flight | 21 August 2002 Hot Bird 6 |
| Last flight | 6 October 2023 Project Kuiper 2-satellite test |
| Type of passengers/cargo |
|
| Boosters – AJ-60A[6] | |
| No. boosters | 0 to 5 |
| Height | 17 m (56 ft)[6] |
| Diameter | 1.6 m (5 ft 3 in) |
| Gross mass | 46,697 kg (102,949 lb) |
| Propellant mass | 42,630 kg (93,980 lb)[7] |
| Maximum thrust | 1,688.4 kN (379,600 lbf) |
| Specific impulse | 279.3 s (2.739 km/s) |
| Burn time | 94 seconds |
| Propellant | HTPB |
| Boosters – GEM 63[8][9] | |
| No. boosters | 0 to 5 |
| Height | 20.1 m (66 ft)[8] |
| Diameter | 1.6 m (5 ft 3 in) |
| Gross mass | 49,300 kg (108,700 lb) |
| Propellant mass | 44,200 kg (97,400 lb) |
| Maximum thrust | 1,663 kN (374,000 lbf) |
| Burn time | 94 seconds |
| Propellant | HTPB |
| First stage – Atlas CCB | |
| Height | 32.46 m (106.5 ft) |
| Diameter | 3.81 m (12.5 ft) |
| Empty mass | 21,054 kg (46,416 lb) |
| Propellant mass | 284,089 kg (626,309 lb) |
| Powered by | 1 RD-180 |
| Maximum thrust |
|
| Specific impulse |
|
| Burn time | 253 seconds |
| Propellant | RP-1 / LOX |
| Second stage – Centaur | |
| Height | 12.68 m (41.6 ft) |
| Diameter | 3.05 m (10.0 ft) |
| Empty mass | 2,316 kg (5,106 lb) |
| Propellant mass | 20,830 kg (45,920 lb) |
| Powered by | 1 RL10A or 1 RL10C (SEC), or 2 RL10A (DEC) |
| Maximum thrust | 99.2 kN (22,300 lbf) (RL10A) |
| Specific impulse | 450.5 s (4.418 km/s) (RL10A-4-2) |
| Burn time | 842 seconds (RL10A-4-2) |
| Propellant | LH2 / LOX |
Atlas V[a] is an expendable launch system and the fifth major version in the Atlas launch vehicle family. It was originally designed by Lockheed Martin, now being operated by United Launch Alliance (ULA), a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Boeing. It is used for DoD, NASA, and Commercial payloads. It is America's longest-serving active rocket. After 87 launches, in August 2021 ULA announced that Atlas V would be retired, and all 29 remaining launches had been sold. As of January 2024[update], 17 launches remain. Other future ULA launches will use the new Vulcan Centaur rocket. [10]
Each Atlas V launch vehicle consists of two main stages. The first stage is powered by a Russian RD-180 engine manufactured by Energomash and burning kerosene and liquid oxygen. The Centaur upper stage is powered by one or two American RL10 engine(s) manufactured by Aerojet Rocketdyne and burns liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. Strap-on solid rocket boosters (SRBs) are used in most configurations. AJ-60A SRBs were used originally, but they were replaced in November 2020 by Graphite-Epoxy Motor (GEM 63) SRBs. The standard payload fairings are 4.2 or 5.4 m (14 or 18 ft) in diameter with various lengths.[11]
- ^ "RocketBuilder". United Launch Alliance. 10 March 2017. Archived from the original on 3 December 2016. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
- ^ "Atlas V". United Launch Alliance. Retrieved 10 December 2022.
- ^ Frankle, Jared (28 July 2019). "ULA delays focused on protecting its 100 percent mission success rate". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved 10 December 2022.
- ^ "NRO satellite successfully launched aboard Atlas V" (PDF). National Reconnaissance Office. 15 June 2007. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
- ^ "ULA Readies Atlas V for Launch of NROL-79 Reconnaissance Satellite". spaceflightinsider.com. 27 February 2017. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
- ^ a b "Atlas V Solid Rocket Motor". Aerojet Rocketdyne. Archived from the original on 14 March 2017. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
- ^ "Space Launch Report: Atlas 5 Data Sheet". Space Launch Report. 15 October 2017. Archived from the original on 23 December 2017. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ a b "GEM 63/GEM 63XL Fact Sheet" (PDF). northropgrumman.com. 5 April 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 September 2018. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
- ^ "Developing Vulcan Centaur" (PDF). 8 April 2019. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 August 2019. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
- ^ Roulette, Joey (26 August 2021). "ULA stops selling its centerpiece Atlas V, setting path for the rocket's retirement". The Verge. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
- ^ "Atlas V Launch Services User's Guide" (PDF). Centennial, Colorado: United Launch Alliance. March 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 May 2013. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
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